Biotechnology experts from China and Britain have developed a new approach that allows the use of porous cells from certain types of microalgae in the manufacture of microrobots.
These micro-robots can deliver chemotherapy precisely to the tumor under the influence of external magnetic fields, reducing the burden on the patient's body, according to the University of Edinburgh's press service.
Researcher Chu Chi from the British University said: "The microalgae of the type Coscinodiscus granii, which are characterized by their disc shape, are the basis for our microrobots. We can track their movement inside the human body in real time, which allows us to guide them towards the tumor and release the drug when they reach the target tissue."
The research team developed an approach aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and safety of bladder cancer treatment using microscopic robots capable of delivering medication directly into the tumor. These robots utilize algal cells filled with magnetic nanoparticles of magnetite, along with the anti-tumor drug doxorubicin.
These microstructures are also covered with a biodegradable polymer coating that seals the pores in the silicon structure of the algae, protecting the contents until the robots reach the tumor, allowing their movement to be controlled and their position tracked inside the body using external magnetic fields and ultrasound waves.
To automate this process, Chu-Chi and his team developed a neural network capable of tracking the location of microparticles within the organ and controlling their trajectory, ensuring the highest concentration of the drug reaches the tumor. This system was tested in laboratory experiments on mice with a model of human bladder cancer.
The results showed that the treatment process takes only about 30 minutes, with the concentration of the drug inside the tumor increasing up to ten times compared to traditional methods, leading to an almost complete reduction in the size of the tumor within one week, which reflects promising potential for using these robots in treating different types of tumors.
The effectiveness of treating many types of malignant tumors is currently limited by the fact that drugs have great difficulty penetrating the tumor tissue, forcing scientists to increase drug doses to life-threatening levels or to search for alternative ways to deliver them to the body. A prime example is the various types of bladder cancer, which require administering large doses of medication directly into the patient's organs, complicating treatment and leading to serious side effects.
